Babylon on Tour

The fallen mythic civilization of Babylon becomes a metaphor for the destruction and destabilization that is leading much of the world into a refugee crisis of mythic proportion. Performed by five actors/singers/puppeteers, the puppets bring to life seven refugees at a metaphorical hearing about their need for asylum.

From Vermont’s renowned Sandglass Theater comes their latest work, Babylon, a Portland Ovations co-commission. A powerful and evocative work, Babylon tells the story of today’s refugees: their sense of home, their arduous journeys and the challenges of resettlement. Performed by puppets and actors with moving panoramas known as crankies, Babylon weaves together the stories of people recently resettled from Syria, Afghanistan, El Salvador and Burundi. The blending of actual testimony with imagined figures gives a personal glimpse into this global crisis.

Portland Stage is a hub of creative activity and energy that engages and contributes to the entire community. Located in the heart of the arts district on Forest Avenue, Portland Stage is known for its professional Mainstage Theater Productions, its creation of vital Education Programs, both in schools and in-house, and for cultivating new voices in theater through its New Work Programs that foster experimentation and artistic risk. Visit www.portlandstage.org to see the Season.

That [Sandglass] can conjure so much history and soul out of a two-foot puppet is its own mystery.”
— THE VILLAGE VOIC